The Social Security Scare Tactics Continue...

Today, The Sacramento Observer Newspaper highlights a community meeting targeting the Black community to discuss Social Security Reform.

Under the title, “Social Security vs. Privatization?” the meeting convened at the Hart Senior Center on 27th and J streets to discuss whether the social security reform is a crisis, President George W. Bush’s proposal, issues concerning privatization and the personal responsibility to save.

But while the forum was couched as a debate (thus the title “Social Security vs. Privatization?”), there was no one invited to speak supporting privatization. But when one looks at the list of event organizers it is no wonder.

The two-hour town hall meeting was sponsored by several organizations including the Division of Social Work and the Gerontology Program at Sacramento State University, AARP, California Alliance for Retired Americans, Gray Panthers, the Older Women’s League, Resources for Independent Living and the Sacramento Central Labor Council.

And as usual, the propaganda machine does not even bother itself with the facts.

In a statement she did not agree with, Madoshi said she heard President Bush say social security reform would be “beneficiary” to African Americans.

“Without doing any research I just laughed at that,” Madoshi said of Bush’s assumption. “This plan (to reform), or non-plan, or thought or dream will not be beneficiary. African Americans, women and disabled persons will (only) be displaced by this plan.”

And the reality is that those who continually trash the idea of Social Security Privatization have deliberately chosen not to do the research, because they know that the facts are not on their side.

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And if you want to know the real facts about how Blacks have faired under the current Social Security System, read my commentary “Social InSecurity- A Bad Investment For Black America”

Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

Race Could Return to UC, CSU Admissions

"Proposition 209 specifically stated that race and ethnicity may not be used, and preferences may not be used in college admissions. (The bill) says it shall not be a preference, yet the rest of bill does exactly that," said Craig DeLuz, spokesperson for Assemblymember Tim Leslie.

DeLuz said the real solution to the slumping numbers lies in the state's K-12 system, which he said is not preparing all students equally for college.

"We believe this bill is an attempt to hide the real issue: Why is our public education doing such a poor job preparing African Americans and Latinos?" he said. "The key is to create a level playing field. Let's give all kids the opportunity to do well."

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Can't Read, Write Or Do Math? No Problem- Here's Your Diploma!

Liberals in the California Legislature are continuing their war on the High School Exit Exam. They claim that test is unfair to minority and low-income students.

How fair is it to send these students into the world not being able to read, write or do math at a 10th grade level?

The Los Angles Times reports that legislative Democrats and political activists are once again mounting an attack on the High School Exit Exam.

Momentum is growing to provide alternatives to California's controversial high school exit exam, which critics say contributes to low graduation rates and discriminates against minority students.

But not everyone agrees that this is the case.

An independent analysis of California's exam found that dropout rates decreased after it was originally introduced for the Class of 2004. But researcher Lauress L. Wise cautioned that the exit exam could be one of many contributing factors.

"What I would conjecture, based on interviews with school principals, is that there is a lot more attention being paid to students at the margins," said Wise, president of the nonprofit research think tank Human Resources Research Organization in suburban Washington.

"It may be that this increased attention … is keeping [them] in school longer," Wise added.

Others have found that repeating a grade in middle school or high school is a better predictor of whether a student will drop out because of the stigma associated with being held back.

If a high school diploma is going to mean anything in the real world, it is important to set standards for students to obtain one. It is equally crucial that we provide a measuring stick to ensure that students are meeting those standards. This is the best way to be assured that our youth are academically prepared for an increasingly competitive job market.

As usual, liberals are more concerned with student’s “feelings” than whether or not they are equipped for the future.

I'm very concerned that students will be discouraged and [question] why they should go forward if their futures rest on one exam," Assemblywoman Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) said before the vote, which fell largely along party lines.

"I've already seen it demoralizing the ones who haven't passed," said Elizabeth Minster, a teacher at Los Angeles High School and a leader of Coalition for Educational Justice, a grass-roots Los Angeles group.

I wonder how these students are going to “feel” when they can’t get a job because they can’t read or write at a 10th grade level? Or do math at an 8th grade level?

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Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

Justified?

The St. Petersburg Times reported on an incident where police put an out of control, five year old girl in handcuffs. Was it justified? Let’s go to the video-tape...

OK...maybe this tape doesn't show the whole story. But the sight of a child being put in handcuffs does strike and emotional cord. I don't know that this was the right course of action at the time. But not shown on this tape is the following behavior:

She tore papers off Dibenedetto's bulletin board and desk. She climbed on a table four times. About an hour had passed since she refused to participate in a kindergarten math lesson, which escalated into a series of defiant and destructive acts.

The tape, which lasts about 30 minutes, begins with Dibenedetto alone in the classroom with the girl, saying the child's name frequently as part of her commands.

"You need to stop," she tells her, using her hands to make the sign language signal for stop. "You don't get to wreck the room."

Using her radio, she calls for help from teacher Patti Tsaousis. She also asks the school office to call the girl's mother and tell her the school will have to call Pinellas Schools police if the behavior continues.

Word comes back that the mother would not be able to make it until 3:15 p.m. It is shortly after 2 p.m.

A short time later, the girl is heard off camera breaking a ceramic or plastic apple on Ottersbach's desk.

"Oh, you broke her apple," Dibenedetto says. "That is so sad."

Throughout the 23-minute segment in the classroom, the assistant principal tells the girl many times to stop, that her actions are "not acceptable." She tells her she needs to take her to her office to prepare for her mother's arrival.

The girl responds to each request with a curt, "No." When the girl reaches out to strike them at times, Dibenedetto and Tsaousis tell her to stop and hold their hands up in defense.

Incidents like this are playing themselves out in classrooms across the country. Although, very few probably end with a child in handcuffs, you would be surprised by the epidemic of out of control school children defying and attacking adults. Yes, the balance of power has shifted in schools. And most teachers, as well as administrators are powerless to take back their rightful place as authority figures in the schools.

When I was in school, it was a given that the teacher was the authority figure in the classroom. This basic assumption is no longer the case. As a former public school teacher I have seen students defy, curse at and in some cases even attack teachers and administrators. Where do you think these children are getting the idea that it is ok to physically attack adults? At home!

Discipline and respect for authority is primarily taught in the home. This is where a child learns that there are consequences for their choices; good and bad. They also learn that there are boundaries and limits to their behavior. They also learn the concept of respect for authority at home.

When I was growing up, I never thought of calling adults by their first name. My parents always taught me that to do so was to put myself on their level. And that until I was grown (supporting myself and paying my own way), I was not on their level. Yet today, I cannot tell you the number of times I have had an adult introduce me to their children as “Craig”. Such a minor interaction may seem insignificant. But it is just one of the many ways that we undermine the concept of authority in our society.

We have bred a lack of respect for authority. Television, rap music and violent video games have shouldered the brunt of the blame, but who is letting these youngsters partake of this trash? Pop culture is not the only culprit. We as parents are partially to blame! We have given into the mentality that we should be friends with our children.

Let’s be real! Our children do not need more friends. They need parents! They need parents who love them enough to discipline them; to teach them self-control and respect for authority. They must learn that every choice they make has consequences; good and bad.

If we, who claim love our children, do not teach them these lessons; they will be forced to learn them from a system that does not love them; the criminal justice system. And I do not relish the thought of my child in handcuffs. Do you?

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Also of interest: A commentary I wrote a few months ago "Train Up a Child" further discusses our role as parents.

Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

ABC's Nightline- "Blaming the Bench"

ABC's Nightline- "Blaming the Bench" (4/21/05)

"He's making decisions for me that are supposed to represent the values of the voters of Sacramento County, and he's not," said Craig Deluz of the Judge Recall Committee. "And so, my main focus is on making sure we get him out of office."

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McMaster Recall Gets National Attention- Watch Nightline Tonight

**TONIGHT** (Thursday April 21st) I will be on ABC's Nightline representing the Recall of Judge Loren McMaster. This is the Judge who said it was ok to create counterfeit marriage.

This recall effort has been getting a lot of attention nationwide. And will likely get a lot more as the people wake up to the reality that we must deal with an out of control judiciary.

Starting next week I will be publishing a series of blogs on why we should recall Judge McMaster and the importance of putting the judiciary back in it’s place.

So stay tuned!!!

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Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

State NAACP doesn't speak for all blacks, pastors say at Capitol event

Craig DeLuz, an organizer of Monday's news conference by black clergy and congregants, vowed opponents of AB 19 will not relent.

"We want members of the Legislature and of the NAACP to know you will not be able to enact these laws without us watching," DeLuz said.

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Black Pastors Unite!

About 50-60 African American pastors and their congregants gathered outside the State Capitol Building to protest the Democrat's attempt to legalize same sex marriage. And to let the California NAACP know that they do not speak for all Blacks.

The Sacramento Bee quotes:

"We understand marriage very well - she's the one that's confused if she thinks homosexual marriage is OK," said Brenda Bennett, president of the Sacramento Alliance for Civil Rights.

The Rev. Alfred Walker, a pastor at Calvary Christian Center in Sacramento, said the proposed bill conflicts with Proposition 22. Overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2000, the initiative restricts marriage in California to a man and a woman.

"The people in California have clearly indicated what their preference is concerning this issue," Walker said. "It should not be an issue that judges, legislators and other people try to override."

Unfortunately, the Bee, as did much of the media in attendance seemed make every attempt to downplay the success of the event. They report only about “two dozen” in attendance.

Well thank God there were much more!

Click Here for the Real Story on the event and to find out how you can support the Sacramento Alliance for Civil Rights!

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Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

Support Paycheck Protection

Support Paycheck Protection (4/15/05)

Thomas Jefferson once wrote that "to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical."

Well this very practice is alive and well today. Labor unions throughout the country have a standard practice of taking money from their members and, without their permission, utilizing it to promote their own political agenda.

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This is about Parents' Rights

The Parental notification Initiative looks to be on it’s way to qualifying for the next statewide ballot. The media and pro-abortion activists are doing everything possible to make this issue about abortion. But isn’t it really about a parent’s right to raise their children?

The San Francisco Chronicle article entitled “Abortion initiative shifts vote climate:Special election would no longer belong to governor”, starts off:

A fight over the ever-divisive abortion issue threatens to pull the spotlight from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to put measures to change state government on a special election ballot in November.

Why do liberals persist in attacking this matter as an abortion issue? Because they know when it is couched as a matter of Parental Rights, they lose. Even liberal politicians cannot justify usurping parents’ rights by allowing abortions on their children without their knowledge.

Last January, for example, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., told a crowd at a rally marking the 32nd anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, which legalized abortion, that she supported a parental notification law that would include exceptions for teenagers estranged from their families.

A few days later, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who touted his pro-choice credentials during the 2004 presidential campaign, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that "I am for parental notification.''

Does this mean that Hillary Clinton and John Kerry support parents’ rights? Not necessarily. More likely, it means that they can read polls.

A May 2002 Field Poll showed that while 63 percent of the state's registered voters supported abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy, a nearly identical 62 percent backed a strict law that would require teenagers younger than 18 to get their parents' consent before obtaining an abortion.

With such overwhelming support for parental consent, it should be no problems passing parental notification. But it won’t be approved without a fight.

Groups such as Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union have vowed to fight the measure if it makes the ballot.

The initiative is political overkill, said Justine Sarver, vice president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California…

With the abortion industry on the unpopular side of this issue, it will be interesting to see the angle they take in opposing this initiative. I can see their slogan now:

Give us your babies, so that we can kill their babies!

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Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

The Thought Police Are Here!

AB 866 (Yee), a bill that is the first step toward prohibiting candidates from speaking negatively of the homosexual or trans-gendered lifestyles passed the California Assembly Elections Committee on a vote of 4-2 and Appropriations Committee on a vote of 13-5.

This measure adds language to the voluntary Code of Fair Campaign Practices that would prohibit “appeals to negative prejudice” based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The agreement to these standards are voluntary. However, the standard by which a decision would be made as to what is and is not "an appeal to negative prejudice based on sexual orientation or gender identity" is utterly subjective. As a result, this measure could have profound imposition upon First Amendment rights to both free speech and freedom of religion.

This bill could have a chilling effect on candidates who disagree with this one portion of the code. When put together with AB 215 (Oropeza), which would require to be printed in the official ballot pamphlet whether or not a candidate agreed to abide by the Code..

In their analysis, committee staff points to a 1986 Attorney General opinion that clearly outlines how this violates the rights of political candidates.

In 1986, the state Attorney General issued an opinion on whether a state law or county ordinance which requires ballots to indicate whether candidates for elective office have signed or refused to sign the Code would violate the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech (69 Op. Atty Gen. Cal. 278). The Attorney General noted that "[a] candidate who did not subscribe to the code could be 'branded' as not agreeing to conduct a 'fair campaign' despite the fact that all campaign speech other than outright falsehoods uttered with actual malice is protected speech under the First Amendment.

Accordingly, there would be a coercive effect to require the candidate to 'voluntarily' sign the code. Yet in signing the code, the candidate would agree to conduct his campaign within the limits of the code and thus restrict his freedom of speech well beyond the area of unprotected speech-that is, the deliberate falsehood." Under this reasoning, it is possible that a court would find that this bill impermissibly coerces candidates to limit their right to free speech.

To make a long story short: The result of this measure would be a government sanctioned, scarlet letter on any candidate for public office who does not support the homosexual or trans-gendered lifestyle.

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Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

Color-coded Shopping: Starbucks, Out! Dunkin' Donuts In!

A good friend, Bill Cardoza sent this to me:

As reported by Brenda Goodman in one of my favorite lefty business mags, Fast Company, there's a new source for color-coding your shopping and coordinating your voting and your spending habits.

Check out www.choosetheblue.com and www.buyblue.org: they've compiled the data on how corporate PAC's and corporate leadership contributed in the last election cycle.

There's bad news for conservative coffee drinkers: Starbucks, 100% Dem!! And what's this betrayal from Bed, Bath and Beyond??

Keep this in mind the next time you consider spending your hard earned money at an establishment that will use it to undermine your values. OUCH!!! THAT HURTS!!!!

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Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

Unions Up In Arms Over Paycheck Protection

Do you believe that anyone has the right to take money out of your hard earned paycheck and spend it on political causes that you disagree with? Without your permission?

That is exactly what is taking place with union workers across the nation. Well here in California, a group of small business advocates are working to get a measure on the ballot that would require unions to get permission for their members before using their dues for political purposes.

The Sacramento Bee reports:

The initiative would require public employee unions to obtain written permission every year from their individual members before spending any dues money on political contributions.

"We believe a lot of union members want the freedom to decide how their dollars are spent," Fox said.

Imagine that… people having freedom to decide how their money is spent. Evidently, unions seem to think this concept is un-American.

Lou Paulson, president of the California Professional Firefighters Association, "They want to stop us from getting our message out."

No one is trying to stop unions from getting their message out. We just object to them stealing the money to do it.

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Also see my commentary “Supporting Paycheck Protection”

Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

NAACP thinks Blacks are too stupid to know what marraige is.

Today the California Conference NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Crooked Politicians) made public their October 2004 vote to support Assemblyman Mark Leno's Same-sex Marriage Bill (AB 19).

The Associated Press quoted the NAACP California Conference President Alice Huffman as saying:

"This issue is really an issue that is not clearly understood by many segments of my community, especially the fundamentalists," said Huffman, adding that despite lingering opposition among some NAACP members, the organization would testify for Leno's bill and lobby lawmakers, if necessary.

Ain't it good to know dat we got impotent folks like Mz. Huffman to tells us unedumacated blak peoples da way it be?

PLEASE!!!!!!

Can Alice Huffman possibly be more condescending? As a Black man who does not support same-sex marriage, I am greatly offended. What is it I don't understand?

Please enlighten us Ms. Huffman! You clearly believe that we Blacks are too stupid to understand what marriage is. So tell us why an institution that has been the bedrock of society does not deserve to be protected?

The truth is... Black voters do understand the value of Traditional Marriage. That is why we have voted to protect it every chance we have been given.

Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

This cartoon and commentary from the Orange County Register make very interesting points and ask very relevant questions about the many issues surrounding the life and death of Terri Schiavo. I would comment more, but I don't think I could put it any better than does the author of this piece.

And I would venture to guess that the debate is far from over.

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Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

Uncommon Sense Radio is Back on The Air!!!

This is not your typical radio talk show. Listen in as the host, Craig DeLuz provides advice and commentary on issues including politics, family and faith; all in hopes of providing listeners with what we call “Uncommon Sense”.

Why do we call it “Uncommon”? Well in case you haven’t noticed. COMMON SENSE IS NOT THAT COMMON!

Uncommon Sense Radio will be on every Monday thru Thursday from 5-6 pm. It features remote and in studio guest interviews, as well as call in listener participation.

The show details are a follows:

97.7 KDEE-FM
MONDAY - THURSDAY
5PM - 6PM


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Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

Who’s children are they anyway?

CARTOON FROM SACUNION.COM (CLICK HERE FOR MORE!)

This week, Worldnet Daily published a story about court case where a school district that would not hire a mother to a vice principle position, because she would not remove her children from a private Christian school.

Barrow claimed she was denied the opportunity to interview for the job because Smith insisted she remove her children from Greenville Christian School.

Fortunately, the federal grand jury sided with the mother and sent a message to the school district that these are still her children.

"American children are not children of the state. They’re the children of the parents."

"One of the most fundamental rights every parent has is the right to decide how to bring up and educate their children…”

I wonder if we have these rights here in California? It sure doesn’t seem like it. Does it?

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Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com